CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga volleyball fell at the hands of Western Carolina on Saturday night, as the Mocs dropped their match against the Catamounts 3-1 to end UTC's homestand.
The Mocs (15-6, 3-3 SoCon) were riding a high following a straight-set victory the previous night against Furman, but a gritty Catamount squad (5-12, 2-4 SoCon) was out for blood Saturday night as WCU came away with the victory in Maclellan Gymnasium on the backs of Ali Morris and Bailey Hartsough, who both finished with double-doubles for Western Carolina.
Chattanooga came out sluggish to open set one, dropping the opening frame 25-19 to the Catamounts after hitting just 9.3 percent as a team in the first. While the second set saw improvement for UTC, WCU was also able to build on their momentum to jump ahead 2-0 on the Mocs following a 25-21 second set in favor of the Catamounts.
UTC was finally able to notch one on the board in the third after forcing the Catamounts to hit just 8.7 percent in the frame enroute to a 25-20 Chattanooga set victory. Now trailing by one set, the Mocs were looking to force a fifth.
The first half of the fourth saw both teams fighting for the lead, and with the scoreboard reading 14-12 WCU, it was anyone's for the taking. At this point, Western Carolina was able to blow the match wide open behind an 8-0 scoring run to find themselves ahead 22-12. Even with a late surge from the Mocs, it was too little too late for UTC as WCU closed out the set with a 25-19 win in the fourth, taking the match 3-1.
Grad student Gylian Finch once again showcased her strengths on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the Mocs, recording double-double that included 12 digs alongside a team-high 20 kills. Finch was one of four Mocs to end the night with 10+ digs, with Paige Gallentine leading the team with 21 while Morgan Romano (12) and Elaine Redman (10) also notched double-digit digs. Redman would also notch 34 assists, giving her a double-double as well.
UP NEXT
The Mocs hit the road for the team's next four matches in the month of October, with next weekend's slate including trips to Birmingham and Macon. UTC will first have to battle Samford (8-10, 3-3 SoCon) on their home court on October 13. The team will then have an off day before taking on Mercer (8-9, 4-2 SoCon) on October 15.
50 SEASONS OF CHATTANOOGA VOLLEYBALL
The 2023 season for the Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team marks a major landmark for the program and the university, as UTC volleyball officially celebrates its 50th season of competition as a university sponsored athletic program. Following the adoption of the Title IX legislation back in 1972, UTC added women's basketball, tennis, and volleyball programs to its roster of athletic teams, bringing on five decades of history for each of the teams.
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